Inductive proximity switches are commonly used in various applications for controlling or sensing the position of for instance a machine element. Especially in military applications, the use of such proximity switches has increased due to the fact that the position of for instance the breech ring, the rammer or the screw mechanism of the gun should be controlled or sensed at different moments during firing of the gun.
The proximity switches are normally beam shaped and detachably mounted in specific mounting means or mechanical adjustment means located on the machine, fire arm, etc, on which the position of an element is to be sensed.
When mounting the proximity switch, it is very important that the range between the proximity switch sensing surface and the sensed machine element, the adjustment range, is very precisely adjusted.
In the Swedish Patent Application No. 80.06265-6, a proximity switch as well as a mounting socket for the switch are illustrated. The mounting socket permits a rapid mounting and exchange of the proximity switch without any new adjustment of the range required. This is an important advantage as repeated adjustments of the range often are difficult and time-consuming actions due to the fact that proximity switches often are badly located on the machine from the service point of view and also due to the fact that it is often necessary to move the machine element which is to be sensed in its moving cycle. In said Swedish patent application, the rapid mounting and exchange of the proximity switch is carried out by means of an additional sleeve disposed on the switch member at a very precise range from the sensing surface of the switch. When mounting the proximity switch in its mounting socket, the sleeve is arranged to cooperate with the mounting socket in a predetermined way. As the mounting socket is located at a precisely defined range with respect to the machine element which is to be sensed, this also means that all proximity switches will be properly adjusted.
The mounting means that are illustrated in said Swedish patent application are all directly connected to the specific type of proximity switches that are provided with external threads on which an additional sleeve can easily be arranged. There is now disclosed herein, however, a new type of proximity switch which also has a cylindric body but instead of such external threads, the switch is provided with a number of guide pins extending out from the body of the switch to facilitate the mounting of the switch. These guide pins at the same time also make the above described mounting socket unsuitable.
Another disadvantage with the above type of mounting socket is the fact that the proximity switch after it has been thread into the socket also must be affixed or locked to the socket, which means that a further component, such as a clamp nut or the like, must be included.